The Command Mood

Also known as: present imperative, ājñā ("command"), loṭ

Introduction

Back in Nouns, we studied just three of the many forms in the command mood. These three forms applied only to parasmaipada verbs from the simple verb classes. We have many more endings to study. Fortunately, these endings are almost identical to the ones we've been studying.

Endings

Each group of endings will be compared with its counterpart in the ordinary past tense.

P Endings

The simple verb classes and the complex verb classes use the same set of endings. Let's take a look at the endings:

bhū (a+, P, command mood)
भू	Singular	Dual	Plural
Third Person	भवतु bhavatu	भवताम् bhavatām	भवन्तु bhavantu
Second Person	भव bhava	भवतम् bhavatam	भवत bhavata
First Person	भवानि bhavāni	भवाव bhavāva	भवाम bhavāma

The first-person endings have lost the visarga. Note the change from m to n in the first-person singular.

Here is an example for the complex verbs. The third-person singular uses the strong stem, and all three of the first-person forms use the strong stem as well.

su (no, P, command mood)
सु	Singular	Dual	Plural
Third Person	सुनोतु sunotu	सुनुताम् sunutām	सुन्वन्तु sunvantu
Second Person	सुनु sunu	सुनुतम् sunutam	सुनुत sunuta
First Person	सुनवानि sunavāni	सुनवाव sunavāva	सुनवाम sunavāma

A Endings

Here are the A endings for verbs from the simple verb classes.

labh (a+, A, command mood)
लभ्	Singular	Dual	Plural
Third Person	लभताम् labhatām	लभेताम् labhetām	लभन्ताम् labhantām
Second Person	लभस्व labhasva	लभेथाम् labhethām	लभध्वम् labhadhvam
First Person	लभै labhai	लभावहै labhāvahai	लभामहै labhāmahai

Now, here are the A endings for verbs from the complex verb classes. The endings are almost exactly the same.

su (no, A, command mood)
सु	Singular	Dual	Plural
Third Person	सुनुताम् sunutām	सुन्वाताम् sunvātām	सुन्वताम् sunvatām
Second Person	सुनुष्व sunuṣva	सुन्वाथाम् sunvāthām	सुनुध्वम् sunudhvam
First Person	सुनवै sunavai	सुनवावहै sunavāvahai	सुनवामहै sunavāmahai

These are the differences between the two sets of endings:

ntām → atām

We have seen this sort of change twice: in the present ātmanepada (nte → ate) and in the past ātmanepada (nta → ata).